Chapter 80 - 79: Don’t Blame Your Brothers for Not Warning You

Chapter 80: Chapter 79: Don’t Blame Your Brothers for Not Warning You

Gu Qingyin was so focused on talking with her sons that although she noticed someone had entered, she just assumed it was one of the household staff. It was Mao Mao who first sensed something was amiss, yelping to alert them.

The dining room fell silent. The mother and her two sons looked over, expressions of surprise and delight on their faces.

"What are you doing back?" Huo Xingye was the first to speak. He glanced at Gu Qingyin, then continued, "I thought your training wasn’t over yet?"

Huo Xingchen stared at Gu Qingyin, his expression blank. "I came back to see the mother who suddenly popped out of nowhere."

Gu Qingyin was already quite familiar with this routine. She immediately said, "If you don’t believe me, we can get a DNA test done first."

Huo Xingchen scoffed. "I don’t believe in that kind of stuff." ’If I wanted to, I’d have a hundred ways to get the result I want.’

Gu Qingyin raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you believe in?"

Huo Xingchen fell silent. ’I want her blood to verify it my own way, but Huo Xingye and Huo Xinghai are both here. They wouldn’t agree.’

"Big Brother and I already did a DNA test with Mom. There’s no need to do another one." Huo Xinghai’s brow furrowed slightly. "Come eat first. We can talk while we eat."

Huo Xingchen tossed his backpack on the floor, took off his jacket, and went to wash his hands before sitting down.

Gu Qingyin and Huo Xingye sat on one side, with Huo Xinghai and Huo Xingchen sitting across from them.

After sitting down, Huo Xingchen didn’t eat. He sized up Gu Qingyin with an unabashed stare, then abruptly asked, "Did you get plastic surgery?"

Gu Qingyin’s mouth twitched. "Really? Would I need to?" She then looked at Huo Xingye and Huo Xinghai. "You two didn’t tell him?"

Huo Xingye rubbed his temples, a headache forming. "We only said you were back and didn’t mention anything else. The plan was to talk to him in person after his training ended." ’Who would’ve thought the kid would have this kind of attitude? It feels less like he rushed back to reunite with his mother and more like he’s here to pick a fight.’

Realization dawned on Gu Qingyin. She gave Hua Xin a look.

Hua Xin understood instantly and began clearing the room.

In no time, the first floor of the villa was empty except for the four people at the dining table and Mao Mao.

Gu Qingyin leaned back in her chair and once again explained the reason she was still so young after disappearing for twenty years.

Huo Xingchen’s expression didn’t change, but inwardly, he was half-convinced, half-skeptical.

’Very few people knew his mom was a Heavenly Master; not even his two older brothers knew. He’d only found out by chance as a child when he stumbled upon the study notes his mother had left behind.’

’But there was no way I’m the only one who knew about this. Anyone wanting to impersonate my mother would have certainly investigated her life story thoroughly.’

’I’m not going to believe the woman before me is my birth mother just because of that.’

Huo Xingchen’s lips curled into a sneer. "What a coincidence. You come back right after Big Brother stabilized the Huo Family."

’When Huo Xingye first took over the Huo Family, those old geezers from the branch families caused no end of trouble. It took Huo Xingye a full two years to gain complete control of the entire Huo Family and start reining in the branches.’

To put it bluntly, Huo Xingchen suspected Gu Qingyin was from a branch family. Unable to seize control of the Huo Family directly, they had decided to try a different approach: indirectly controlling the head of the Huo Family.

Huo Xingchen’s eyes darkened. ’As long as I’m here, the branch families won’t succeed. If they dare to covet what doesn’t belong to them again, I won’t hesitate to cut off all their hands.’

In that instant, there was a slight shift in Huo Xingchen’s aura.

Gu Qingyin’s head snapped in his direction, but the aura vanished as quickly as it appeared, so fast it was almost as if she had imagined it.

’But that’s impossible.’ Gu Qingyin had terrifying self-confidence. ’There was definitely Evil Qi just now; it was just suppressed very quickly.’

Gu Qingyin felt her heart sink. ’What is with these three sons of mine? Each one has bigger problems than the last.’

Her mood soured, and she didn’t say much after that, just ate her meal in silence with her head down.

Huo Xingye and Huo Xinghai both thought she was heartbroken and kept glaring at Huo Xingchen throughout the meal.

Seeing this, Huo Xingchen became even more convinced that the two of them had been bewitched by Gu Qingyin, and he secretly vowed to expose her true colors.

’This feeling of being the only sober person in a crowd of drunks is making my sense of responsibility swell. I will protect the family business Dad left behind! Those bloodsuckers from the branch families won’t lay a finger on it!’

After dinner, Gu Qingyin went straight back to her room.

Huo Xingye and Huo Xinghai exchanged a look, then each grabbed one of Huo Xingchen’s arms, dragged him to the third-floor study, and pushed him down onto the sofa.

The two of them folded their arms and questioned him from above, "Why won’t you accept Mom?"

Huo Xingchen looked up at his two older brothers. "What are the odds of someone who’s been missing for twenty years returning completely unscathed? How did we get so lucky? A DNA test alone isn’t enough to make me believe her."

He looked at Huo Xingye, his eyes filled with doubt. "Big Brother, you’re not one to trust people easily. How could you believe her so easily this time?"

’Easily?’

Huo Xingye couldn’t help but reflect. ’I didn’t believe her at first either, and then I got beaten up...’

At this thought, he couldn’t help but glance at Huo Xinghai.

Huo Xinghai, perhaps thinking the same thing, shot him a look of his own, his expression unreadable.

Before accepting their mother, both of them had been beaten up.

Two seconds later, it dawned on both brothers: Huo Xingchen wouldn’t accept their mom because he hadn’t yet experienced her "loving education." A good beating would fix him right up.

Seeing Huo Xingye remain silent, Huo Xingchen thought he’d gotten through to him. He said seriously, "You two just act as you normally would. I’ll find a flaw and expose her."

At these words, Huo Xingye and Huo Xinghai exchanged another look, then both turned to give Huo Xingchen a complicated gaze.

"Whatever you want." Huo Xinghai rolled his eyes and left.

"Do as you see fit." Huo Xingye added faintly, then left as well.

’We’ve said all we could. When the beating comes, he can’t blame us, his older brothers, for not warning him. Mom’s punches really hurt.’

Huo Xingchen was completely baffled. He sat on the sofa thinking for a while, but the more he thought, the more confused he became, so he eventually gave up.

Just as he was about to leave, his manager’s call came through.

Huo Xingchen froze, then expressionlessly silenced his phone and stuffed it back into his pocket. ’The long flight was exhausting. The least I deserve is a peaceful night’s sleep.’

The next morning, Liu Ergou arrived.

He was old, and years of cultivation had made rising early a habit. He felt that after dilly-dallying through breakfast and taking a taxi over, it must be quite late already.

But as it turned out, just as he sat down on the sofa, he ran into Huo Xingye, who was coming downstairs and getting ready for work.

Huo Xingye had never had a good impression of this old Daoist. Seeing him, his gaze darkened slightly and he asked, "What brings Liu Daoist here?"

Liu Ergou, completely oblivious, puffed out his chest and said, "I have an appointment with your mother. We’re going out to take care of some business today."

Huo Xingye, who had been about to leave, stopped in his tracks. He turned back and sat on the armchair next to Liu Ergou. "What kind of business? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Liu Ergou waved his hand dismissively. "This isn’t something an ordinary person can help with," he said cryptically.

Huo Xingye understood. It was Heavenly Master business.

’If this had been a day ago, I would have been helpless no matter how unwilling I was, but now...’ A slight smile touched his lips. "To be honest, my third brother also has some talent in the metaphysical arts. Coincidentally, he just got back last night. Why don’t you let him go out with you today?"